A handgun of the revolver type generally has a pistol frame in which a cylinder is rotatable. A plurality of bores or chambers formed in the cylinder are alignable between a hammer at the rear of the gun and a barrel at the front so this hammer may fire the cartridge in the chamber and expel the bullet through the barrel. Mechanism is provided connected between the hammer and a trigger which operates the hammer to rotate the cylinder through a predetermined angular distance each time it is fired so that a fresh cartridge is aligned between the hammer and barrel. This mechanism generally engages the rear end of the cylinder.
Such a revolver is reloaded usually by swinging the cylinder out of the frame. The spent cartridges can then either be removed one by one, or a release carried on the pistol can be pressed to push them all out of their chambers. Thereafter fresh cartridges are loaded one by one into the empty chamber, the cylinder is snapped back in place, and the handgun can again be fired.
Such an operation is relatively time-consuming. When the handgun is being used as a weapon or in competition it is frequently highly disadvantageous to spend a relatively long period of time reloading. Even when the handgun is a simple starter or signal pistol it is often very bothersome to have to painstakingly reload. This time-consuming loading operation is additionally disadvantageous when it must be done out of doors, where the pistol must be held open frequently in wet or otherwise potentially damaging surroundings.